Tottenham Hotspur is facing a very difficult reality right now. A club that usually fights for spots near the top of the league table is currently locked in a desperate battle to avoid dropping down to a lower division.
This is a terrifying situation for the fans and the players alike. Igor Tudor, the new manager who recently took charge of the team, has a massive job on his hands.
He was brought in to steer the club away from the relegation zone and keep them safe in the Premier League. It is a very heavy burden, but he is slowly starting to figure out which players he can truly trust in this high-pressure fight for survival.
Things looked a little bit brighter for Tottenham this past Sunday.
The team traveled to play against a very strong Liverpool side at Anfield, which is widely known as one of the hardest places to visit in football. Against all odds, Spurs managed to secure an excellent point by finishing the match with a one-to-one draw.
This was a huge moment for Igor Tudor because it was the very first point his team has earned since he walked through the door to take the manager’s job.
While they are still desperately searching for their first actual win under his leadership, grabbing a draw at Liverpool gives the whole squad a much-needed boost of hope.
It shows that they can fight back and compete against the best teams, even when the pressure on them is immense.
However, the new manager is facing a lot of bad luck behind the scenes. The former Juventus boss has a massive list of injury troubles to deal with on a daily basis.
Just recently, Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero were added to the growing list of players who are hurt and cannot play.
To make matters even worse for the team, Conor Gallagher had to miss the big game against Liverpool simply because he was sick.
Because of all these missing players, the Tottenham squad is looking incredibly thin right now. Tudor does not have a lot of options to choose from when he picks his starting eleven.
He has to make do with what he has, and that makes his job of saving the club even harder than it already was.
Because of this severe lack of available players, Igor Tudor has had to look very closely at the rest of his squad.
In doing so, he has discovered three key players who are ready to step up and fight for him.
Interestingly, none of these three players were really trusted or used very much by the former manager, Thomas Frank.
When Frank was in charge of the team, these specific players spent a lot of time sitting on the bench watching others play.
Now, they are the ones who might actually save Tudor’s job and keep Tottenham in the top league.
The most obvious player in this group is the Brazilian attacker, Richarlison. He was the hero on Sunday, scoring Tottenham’s only goal late in the game to rescue that vital draw against Liverpool.
Under the old manager, Richarlison struggled to get regular playing time. He has only started fourteen Premier League games this entire season, which is very low for a player of his quality and experience.
Despite being left out so often, he has still managed to score nine goals and provide three assists in the league. That shows he is a natural goalscorer who just needs a chance.
Richarlison also knows exactly what it takes to survive a harsh relegation battle because he went through a similar stressful situation when he used to play for Everton.
He is tough, he works hard, and he is exactly the kind of player Igor Tudor needs on the pitch right now. If Thomas Frank had played him more often, maybe Tottenham would not be in this mess.
Now, Richarlison has the power to keep the team completely safe.
Another player who has suddenly become incredibly important is the strong defender, Kevin Danso.
He was an absolute rock at the back during the tough game at Anfield. He completely outshined his defensive partner, Radu Dragusin, and proved that he belongs on the field.
Just like Richarlison, Danso was largely ignored by the previous manager.
He has only started ten league matches all season long. Yet, against a powerful Liverpool attack, he looked like a true leader.
He was calm, strong, and comfortably one of the best players on the pitch for Spurs.
If Danso keeps playing with this kind of power and focus, other big-name defenders like Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven might actually have a hard time getting their starting spots back when they are healthy again.
Tudor needs warriors right now, and Danso proved he is ready for the intense battle ahead.
The third player who is stepping into the spotlight is the young French talent, Mathys Tel.
The former manager gave Tel a very hard time. He was even left entirely out of the squad for the big Champions League matches, which must have been heartbreaking for such a young player.
He has only started eight league games this year. During the Liverpool match, he did not score or do anything flashy, but his work rate was absolutely incredible to watch.
He ran up and down the pitch constantly, helping the defenders and tracking back every single time the other team had the ball.
At the same time, he was still very dangerous when attacking. In fact, he created three good scoring chances during the game, which was more than any other Tottenham player managed to do.
Tel is incredibly hungry to prove himself. He wants to play regularly, and his endless energy could be the secret weapon Tudor needs right now.In the end, this dark relegation battle will test everyone at Tottenham.
Igor Tudor has a huge mountain to climb, and he is trying to do it with a team full of injuries and doubt.
But by finally putting his trust in Richarlison, Kevin Danso, and Mathys Tel, he has found three players who are desperate to prove their worth.
They were pushed aside in the past, but now they are fighting with everything they have.
If Tottenham manages to avoid dropping down to the lower league this season, it will likely be because these three players stepped up when the club needed them the most.
They are playing not just for the fans, but to save their new manager’s job.
